I was playing with my cat and she was really getting into this feather toy I bought for her. She was doing some crazy stunts in the air and then I had the epiphany... should I be getting her on some joint health? She lands on the floor pretty hard even if we do play on a rug, am I accidentally speeding up her kitty arthritis? Thoughts? Do you guys have your cats on any hip and joint supplements?
Hi Janice,
Thanks for contacting us with your question. It's a good question as cats have impressive reflexes (in fact, 6 times faster than our own) and can land pretty hard on their feet. This of course can be worrying when we think of their joints.
The good news is that cats are adapted for bouts of sudden activity and movement (this helps them when they hunt), which is why they spend a large portion of their day resting and sleeping. I wouldn't be overly worried if your cat is particularly active during playtime but there are some things that I would recommend in order to protect her joint health.
Ensure that you're playing with your cat for the recommended time of 30-40 minutes per day divided into several play sessions. Extra long play sessions may make your cat prone to injury and joint problems. We have more information on this here; https://cats.com/how-long-should-i-play-with-my-cat
Keeping your cat at a healthy weight can help protect their joints. If your cat is carrying extra weight, this can put extra pressure on their joints and be a risk factor for arthritis.
If your cat is ageing or showing signs such as reduced mobility, activity or has shown a change in their grooming or behavior they may be showing early signs of arthritis. What age is your kitty? If she is showing any of these signs I'd recommend having a check up with your vet.
If she's a young cat and you're worried about arthritis in the future, have a chat with your vet about joint supplements. There are plenty of joint supplements on the market. Generally, young healthy cats don't necessarily need them but they are very well tolerated and have little side effects. If your cat is a breed that is at risk of arthritis or is very active, your vet may recommend them or if you're worried about arthritis, you can certainly trial your cat on a supplement. We have a few listed here in our supplement article; https://cats.com/best-cat-vitamins-and-supplements and some information about glucosamine (a common joint supplement ingredient) here; https://cats.com/glucosamine-for-cats.
I hope that helps answer your question,
Aisling